The British Potato Council's first estimate of total production in Great Britain for the 2003 crop is 5.812 million tonnes, a 13 per cent drop on the 6.683mt produced in 2002.
This is largely the result of a significant decrease in total potato plantings, to 124,800 hectares, combined with a small decrease in average yield.
The GB estimate of average yield, based on analysis from 716 samples from the 2003 Crop Check Weighing survey to date, is 46,6t per planted hectare. This represents a 3.3 per cent fall year-on-year.
The survey gives an indication of quantity, but not quality. The 2003 crop has been adversely affected by above average temperatures and restricted rainfall during the peak growing period. Whilst this limited infection from Blight, an increased level of dry matter was commonplace, which in turn led to greater incidence of bruising.
The UK is not alone in registering a significant volume decrease in 2003. Northern European production is down by 14 per cent overall (to 30.1mt), with the Netherlands (-20.5 per cent) top of the drops. No country registered an increase, Belgian production fell 17.2 per cent, the German crop was 11.7 per cent smaller and French producers recorded a 7.4 per cent decline.
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